JOB DETAILS:
The Livelihoods Manager will work closely with the Technical Director and Implementation Director to ensure the quality, efficiency, integrity and learning associated with Apolou Activity livelihood interventions. The Livelihoods Manager will be responsible for implementing a market systems approach, together with private sector and government actors, to hasten economic development in the Karamoja sub-region, with key focus areas including livestock and crop agriculture value chains, financial inclusion, economic empowerment of youth and women, and growth of the business enabling environment. The livelihoods interventions will be fully integrated with other technical areas of Apolou Activity to build resilient households .

Job Responsibilities
Strategy & Vision
• Support the Technical Director in developing a vision and strategy for livelihood activities to build household resilience and ensure sequencing, layering and integration.
• Play an active role in identifying and developing new initiatives that foster or improve strategic objectives of the economic development activities.
• Review and adapt relevant curricula, strategy documents and training materials for technical integrity across the different Apolou livelihood sectors.
Program Management
• Ensure program management and administration of livelihood team members across various field locations, including budget and workplan management
• Use a market systems development approach to strengthen links between local, regional and national private sector actors to hasten the growth of the private sector in Karamoja as it relates to key food security domains.
• Ensure program adherence to USAID and internal compliance regulations, building the capacity of livelihood team members to ensure consistency in policy application, human resource, administrative and operations procedures
• Adopt and promote resilience learning, ensuring that livelihood activities result in improved capacity of participants to overcome shocks and stresses
• Ensure that program implementation is responsive to communities and partners and consistent with Mercy Corps’ relevant program guidelines, principles, values, quality standards and strategic plan.
• Ensure that participants are effectively targeted according to established vulnerability criteria.
• Develop strategic MoUs and contracts for key private sector, other development partners and government actors
• Integrate gender and youth sensitive programming to all implementation, ensuring that livelihood activities are meeting the unique needs and priorities of women, girls, boys and men.
• Together with the Implementation Director, create and maintain systems ensuring effective and transparent use of financial resources for timely and informative reporting in line with donor and Mercy Corps policies and procedures.
• Ensure livelihood team adherence to Mercy Corps’ Program Management Minimum Standards based on the organization-wide guide.
• Develop and review regular reports for internal and external audiences.
Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning
• Ensure indicator targets are set and adhered to for all livelihoods interventions
• Support the livelihoods team in routine monitoring activities with support of the MEL Advisor
• Ensure Livelihoods team members understand the link between activity implementation and the Theory of Change
• Support the MEL team with CLA (Collaboration, Learning and Adaptation) activities
• Ensure livelihood implementation is on time, target and budget, using effective M&E systems to reach desired impacts.
• Contribute to Apolou Activity’s learning themes.
Team Management
• Create and sustain a work environment of mutual respect where team members strive to achieve excellence.
• Promote accountability, communicate expectations and provide constructive feedback via regular performance reviews of livelihood team members
• Supervise, hire and orient new team members as necessary.
• Provide team members with information, tools and other resources to improve performance and reach objectives.
• Contribute to country team-building efforts, help team members identify problem-solving options and ensure the integration of all team members into relevant decision-making processes.
• Together with the Senior Management Team, support broader Apolou Activity team by leading coordination meetings and identifying integration opportunities as relevant.
Influence & Representation
• Together with the Apolou Senior Management Team, identify, build and manage collaborative partnerships with local government, other development partners and private sector partners
• Communicate effectively to ensure overall Activity targets and donor obligations are met.
• Manage relationships with regional and national stakeholders, including private sector companies that participate in livelihood activities
Organizational Learning
• As part of our commitment to organizational learning and in support of our understanding that learning organizations are more effective, efficient and relevant to the communities they serve, we expect all team members to commit 5% of their time to learning activities that benefit Mercy Corps as well as themselves.

Job Skills: Not Specified

Knowledge and Experience
• Masters Degree in business, economic development, international development or other relevant field is preferred.
• At least 7+ years of relevant experience with positions of progressively greater responsibilities.
• Experience working in Karamoja sub-region strongly preferred, experience in agro-pastoralist communities advantageous.
• Regional / international experience is an added advantage.
• Demonstrated experience in technical livelihoods strategies, preferably in multi-sector food security and/or nutrition programming
• Management and demonstrated success building, managing and leading a team of professionals.
• Strong organization, prioritization and negotiating skills, including excellent (English) verbal and written communication skills.
• Excellent quantitative skills required, including financial management.
• Experience in building and maintaining strong/productive relations with implementing and strategic partner agencies is preferred. This includes coordinating with government authorities and private sector counterparts.
• Strong computer literacy with a full knowledge of office applications.
• Knowledge of local languages is an advantage

Job Education: Not Specified

Job Experience: Not Specified

Work Hours: 8

Job application procedure

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